The Bust of Blockbuster

Long ago, before the age of the internet, there was a place. A place where you could rent movies. A place where these movies were never fully rewound when you brought them back home. A place where you could run around the store, angry that they didn't have the 4th Season of Lost. We called this place many things: overpriced, badly stocked, disorganized. But it had a name that summed up all these points and more: Blockbuster.

A primitive depiction.

Although it was rife with flaws, it became a haven for my generation. Before Netflix, there was the excitement of driving to Blockbuster and picking out a movie to watch with some friends. You'd use your Blockbuster card, barely held together by the shitty plastic it was made with, to check out a couple of shitty movies that you only bought because it said "Partial Nudity" in the rating description. Before you went to check out, there was an assortment of artery clogging snacks to supplement your shitty movie. Such was the weekend routine, and it never failed to be exciting and rewarding every time. A trip to Blockbuster wasn't just an errand; you weren't there to complete a task. No, going to Blockbuster was a ritual. Albeit, one that smelled vaguely of old popcorn and plastic, but a ritual nonetheless.

Don't get me wrong; I welcome progress. The advent of Netflix and Hulu has expanded my entertainment capabilities tenfold. But the adventure of walking into an old Blockbuster with the intent of having no intent is one that I will miss. It is with some sadness that I announce that Blockbuster is closing its remaining stores here in the US. DISH Network, owners of Blockbuster, announced that it will close all of "its approximately 300 remaining U.S.-based retail stores." The biggest surprise came when it was revealed that there were 300 remaining Blockbusters. 

The announcement is bittersweet. On the one hand, it allows the beloved store of our youth to leave with some dignity. But on the other, heavily nostalgic hand, it marks the end of an era. An era in which renting a movie wasn't merely pointing your remote at the screen and choosing whatever popped up first. Finding a movie was just as much an experience as watching it. It was a Friday night activity with friends. It was getting a game and hoping to beat it in the three days you had. It was wandering the aisles and stumbling upon "Evil Bong" and wondering what the fuck it was. It was Blockbuster. 

We here at The Daily Wit salute you, Blockbuster. You shall be sorely missed.